


Insurrection Alpha

by Ghostwriter (Zoya_Zalan)



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Action/Adventure, Borg Drones, Flotter T. Water, Gen, Holodeck Character, Holodecks/Holosuites, Holosimulations, Mutiny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-21
Updated: 2015-04-21
Packaged: 2018-03-25 04:19:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3796465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya_Zalan/pseuds/Ghostwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of technical mishaps traps Naomi Wildman on the holodeck in the midst of a deadly simulation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Insurrection Alpha

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer** : Paramount owns all things Voyager. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Many thanks to my awesome beta, Carol, for her insightful comments and suggestions. All mistakes in the final draft are entirely my own.
> 
> Written in September 2000.

~ * ~ * ~

"Please restate the question."

Naomi Wildman stared incredulously at the holodeck control panel, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Activate program ' _The Adventures of Flotter_ ,' chapter sixteen," she repeated carefully.

"Unable to comply," the computer informed her. "Program must be activated manually."

The little girl's forehead wrinkled further as she frowned, causing her tiny Ktarean spikes to stand out even more prominently. "That's never happened before," she murmured, taking a step closer. Standing on tip-toes, she reached up and tapped in the sequence of controls her mother had taught her to use when she'd first learned about the holodeck. The computer responded instantly.

"You may enter when ready."

With a satisfied smile, Naomi turned toward the holodeck doors. They opened obediently for her and she stepped inside, realizing at once that something was very, very wrong. Instead of the peaceful, storybook forest she was expecting to see, she found herself standing in a corridor that looked suspiciously similar to the one she'd just stepped out of. The hiss of the doors closing behind her caused her to spin around, but when she did, all she saw was the same gray bulkhead that made up all of _Voyager's_ corridors.

"Computer, am I on the holodeck?" Naomi called after a moment's hesitation.

"Affirmative."

"Where are Flotter and Treevus?"

"Please restate the question."

Naomi looked around, puzzled eyes taking in her surroundings. This was definitely a simulation of _Voyager_. The display panel on the wall beside her indicated that she was on deck five, very close to the ship's Sickbay. But why wasn't the computer running the holodeck program she'd requested? A flash of color caught her eye and she looked up towards the top of the bulkhead where the ship's status indicators were blinking ominously. This _Voyager_ was at red alert.

"Computer, end program," Naomi ordered. She'd be in big trouble if anyone caught her in the corridors during a red alert, even if this was just a simulation.

"Unable to comply," the computer replied.

"Display exit," she called nervously, stepping toward the wall where the doors had been.

"Unable to comply."

Naomi stopped in her tracks, still staring at the bulkhead in front of her. Reaching out with both hands, she touched the cool surface, pushing a little to test the barrier. It was solid, just like those on the real _Voyager_.

The sound of voices nearby startled her out of her observation. Instinctively, she flattened herself against the wall, trying to blend into the surroundings. Naomi's eyes widened as she watched two unfamiliar crew members pass through an adjoining corridor only a few meters away, both of them wielding compression phaser rifles. She continued to stare down the corridor long after they'd passed, her heart beating frantically.

~ * ~ * ~

Captain Kathryn Janeway sat in her command chair, unable to suppress the crooked grin that tugged at her mouth. As _Voyager's_ commanding officer, she should have put a stop to the friendly debate that was currently taking place between her Chief of Security and the ship's talented, but fun-loving pilot. Truth be told, however, she enjoyed seeing Lieutenant Commander Tuvok's hackles raised once in awhile. A little teasing was good for him.

"The Oracle of K'Tal does not make use of a Hula-Hoop, Mr. Paris," Tuvok insisted.

Lieutenant Tom Paris worked his navigation console diligently, hiding his amusement from the rest of the Bridge crew. "I don't know, Tuvok. That holoprogram of yours seems to have an awful lot of bugs in it. First the Oracle was wearing pajamas, then a sombrero, and now a Hula-Hoop? Maybe you should let Harry and me have a look at it."

Janeway glanced sideways at her first officer, nearly chuckling out loud when she saw the amused look on his face. The last several weeks had been rather tedious for _Voyager's_ crew; the region of space they were traveling through seemed devoid of any habitable planets or even any interesting stellar phenomenon that would break up the monotony of their daily routine. Mischief and mayhem were bound to start surfacing at some point, especially where Tom Paris was concerned.

"Tampering with personal holodeck programs is an invasion of privacy," Tuvok stated coolly.

The pilot turned his chair toward the Tactical station, meeting the Vulcan's penetrating stare for the first time. "Okay, but don't say we didn't offer."

At the back of the Bridge, Ensign Harry Kim's smile faded as his Operations console began to light up with warning indicators. "Captain," he called, his eyes darting back and forth across the controls, "we've got a cascade failure in progress."

Janeway was out of her chair and headed toward his station before he'd even finished the sentence. "Bridge to Engineering," she hailed, tapping her combadge. There was no response.

"The ship-wide comm system is down," Kim informed her. "Environmental controls have been compromised; holodeck systems are completely scrambled..."

"Both transporter rooms have lost power as well," Tuvok added.

"Maybe we have a few gremlins loose in Engineering," the captain murmured as she looked over Kim's shoulder. "Do we still have tactical and propulsion systems?"

Tuvok's fingers moved swiftly across his console. "Affirmative."

"Main power is starting to fluctuate," Chakotay announced, studying his own readouts. "Auxiliary systems are still nominal."

Janeway tapped several controls on the Operations display. "This is more than just gremlins," she speculated softly, frowning. "Commander, you have the Bridge. Go to yellow alert and maintain until further notice."

"Aye, Captain."

"Mr. Kim, you're with me," Janeway ordered, already heading for the turbolift.

The ride eleven decks down was a long and tense one, with lights dimming and the turbolift slowing prematurely several times. When they finally reached Engineering, the first thing they saw after the doors slid open was Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres marching straight toward them carrying a portable tool kit. Another engineer followed closely behind her.

"What's going on?" the captain asked.

A strange mixture of irritation and uncertainty was written in the half-Klingon's dark eyes. "You're not going to believe this."

~ * ~ * ~

Naomi made her way through the holographic corridors slowly, trying not to make any noise. Her initial nervousness had completely disappeared, giving way to intense curiosity. She knew nothing on the holodeck could hurt her as long as the safety protocols were on, so she really had no reason to be frightened. Besides, this was obviously not a standard holoprogram. Even though it was a simulation of _Voyager_ , she didn't recognize many of the people she saw, and most of them were dressed funny. As long as she couldn't turn off the program or get out, a thorough exploration was definitely in order. Eventually someone would find where she was and realize the holodeck was acting strangely.

Sneaking up to one of the corridor junctions, she peered around the corner. There were two people standing down by the turbolift entrance, one of whom she recognized as Crewman Dalby. The other, a tall Bajoran woman, was not familiar to her.

"The crew quarters have been locked down," the woman stated, her tone of voice making it clear that she was in charge. "Find Carlson and finish rounding up the Starfleet personnel."

"What about Janeway?" Dalby asked.

"Well, she'll just have a little surprise waiting for her, now won't she?" the Bajoran sneered. "Chakotay's waiting. Let's get moving."

Naomi watched as Dalby turned and entered the turbolift. When the Bajoran woman began walking down the corridor towards her position, the little girl ducked back behind the wall and spun around, preparing to make a hasty retreat, only to come face to face with the most ruthless pair of eyes she'd ever seen. Startled, she gasped softly and took a step backward, but the man in front of her raised his phaser in warning. He was also clearly Bajoran, but Naomi had never seen him before either. His eyes were like pools of inky darkness, very cold, and very calculating. His hair was slicked back from a face that looked as impassive as Tuvok's, and a small, almost imperceptible smile pulled at his lips.

"Well," he said, his voice deadly calm. "What do we have here?"

"What's going on?" The Bajoran woman's voice echoed off the bulkheads as she approached. 

Naomi opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Who are you?" the woman demanded harshly.

The little girl flinched at her tone. "Naomi Wildman," she finally choked out.

"I could dispose of her," the Bajoran man offered.

The woman glared at him. "There will be no executions without my or Chakotay's authorization. Is that clear, Suder?"

The man blinked calmly, refocusing his eyes on the other Bajoran. "Perfectly... Seska."

Seska grinned mockingly at him before turning her attention back to Naomi. "Take her to Cargo Bay One; we've set up a holding cell there for the non-essential personnel."

Suder glanced back at the little girl. He gestured with his phaser, indicating that she should turn around and start walking. As she complied, Naomi couldn't help but wonder exactly what kind of a holoprogram she'd stumbled across.

~ * ~ * ~

"We were performing a routine purge of extraneous database files when a malfunction in the relays caused a random power surge," B'Elanna Torres explained as the turbolift shuttled them toward their destination. "The resulting chain reaction destabilized the main power grid."

"That's what's causing all the system failures?" the captain asked.

Torres shook her head. "Not exactly. The power fluctuations and loss of environmental controls are a direct result of the power surge. The other malfunctions are happening because of a more critical complication."

A tingle of apprehension kindled in the pit of Janeway's stomach. There was something familiar about the pattern of malfunctions the engineer was referring to, but she couldn't quite place it. "Explain," she ordered as the turbolift came to a halt. Everyone exited quickly, the two engineers leading the way.

"The power surge caused a lot of damage to the holodeck systems; that was the database we were working on," Torres continued. "We managed to take Holodeck One completely off-line, but Naomi Wildman activated and entered Holodeck Two before we could shut it down."

"The holodeck systems are scrambled," Kim elaborated. "She's probably trapped in there."

"She obviously requested a specific program upon entry, but because the holodeck systems were damaged, the computer processed that request incorrectly," the engineer explained further. "You're right about her being trapped inside, but she's definitely not enjoying the program she was expecting."

A sense of foreboding penetrated Janeway's thoughts as they approached the holodecks. "Which program was activated?"

After pulling open the control panel outside Holodeck Two, Torres trained nervous eyes on her commanding officer. A moment of heavy silence passed before she finally answered, " _Insurrection Alpha_." 

Janeway paled as she met the other woman's worried gaze, the seriousness of the situation quickly sinking in.

Harry Kim stared dumbly at _Voyager's_ chief engineer, the pieces of the puzzle finally fitting together. The malfunctions that had happened — transporter rooms losing power; holodeck systems scrambling; the comm system failing — it was almost as if... "No!" the young ensign shook his head. "That's not possible; we deleted Seska's subroutines three years ago! The program's been run hundreds of times since then without any problems."

"There was another set of subroutines," Torres explained grimly as she went to work on the control panel. "I'm guessing Seska meant for these to be the backups in case someone stumbled across her original set. We missed them because they were never connected to the primary narrative parameters; the computer wouldn't have recognized the coding as part of the main program. Seska never finished this programming job, but it's a good bet this version is just as deadly as the one we encountered the first time."

"How could these subroutines have been engaged if the computer didn't recognize them?" demanded Janeway.

"It was a completely random action on the part of the computer, one that never would have happened if the holodeck systems were functioning properly. This whole situation is the result of a fluke set of events."

"So now Naomi is stuck in the middle of a Maquis mutiny, with the holodeck safeties off and no way to get out," Kim concluded, his heart pounding fiercely at the unpleasant prospect.

Torres glanced back up at him. "That about sums it up."

The captain took a deep, steadying breath, trying hard to stay calm. It had been three years since they'd almost lost Paris and Tuvok to Seska's vindictiveness. The same reprogrammed simulation had disabled many of the ship's key systems, trapping the two officers in a holographic nightmare of mutiny and revenge that had almost cost them their lives. Now it appeared the whole scenario was happening all over again, only this time, the life of an innocent little girl was at stake.

~ * ~ * ~

By the time Naomi was ushered into the cargo bay, there were already a large number of Starfleet crew members being held under armed guard. The little girl's face brightened as she began to recognize faces. Commander Chakotay was there speaking to the crew, but the words he was saying made Naomi slow her pace.

"...what we will do is use any means necessary to acquire technology that can shorten our journey. To hell with Starfleet regulations. You have fifteen minutes to make up your minds."

The little girl stared in disbelief. She'd never heard the first officer speak in such a manner, the coldness of his tone causing a shiver to run up her spine. Suder grabbed her arm as she slowed down, pulling her along.

"Ow!" she objected loudly, trying to pull away, but the Bajoran's grip was unrelenting. All eyes in the room were suddenly fixed on her.

"What's this?" Chakotay demanded.

Suder shoved Naomi toward the other prisoners. "I found her on Deck Five. She says her name is Naomi Wildman."

"Be careful!" one of the female prisoners warned, moving to help the little girl. "She's just a child."

Chakotay's eyes bored into Naomi's. "I don't know any Naomi Wildman," he said coolly.

She stared back unflinchingly, trying desperately to figure out what was happening. Commander Chakotay, Lieutenant Torres, and Crewman Gerron all had weapons pointed toward the rest of the crew. Something was definitely wrong here.

"Are you all right?" The soft voice wrapped around Naomi like a warm blanket.

Tearing her eyes away from the commander's, the little girl looked up at the woman who had helped her, actually seeing her for the first time. She smiled, a look of astonishment crossing her features. "You're Kes."

The woman knelt down beside her, smiling back. "Do I know you?"

Naomi's smile faded. "No, you probably wouldn't. You left when I was just a baby. I've seen your picture, though."

Kes looked thoroughly confused. "There are no children here on _Voyager_."

"Well..." Naomi trailed off, unsure of how to explain the situation. Her eyes wandered around the cagro bay. She was relieved to see that Chakotay had moved off to one corner, conversing quietly with the man called Suder. "I'm not exactly from here," she confided. "I'm from... a different _Voyager_."

The Ocampan woman considered her words thoughtfully. "A different _Voyager_? You mean... in a different reality?"

"Yes," the little girl nodded. That sounded about right. "A different reality."

"Well, you certainly picked an interesting time to come for a visit, didn't you?" Kes remarked. Standing up, she carefully guided Naomi to the back of the room, away from the curious ears of their captors. "How did you get here?"

"I'm not sure," Naomi admitted truthfully. "What's happening?"

"The Maquis have taken over the ship," Kes explained in hushed tones as she took a seat on one of the smaller cargo containers. "The Starfleet officers are being held prisoner in different locations."

"Maquis?" The little girl frowned at the unfamiliar term as she sat down beside Kes. Those must be the crew members wearing dark clothing, but why were they calling themselves that? Then it hit her — teams! This holoprogram was some kind of game for grown-ups where the players on two teams tried to outsmart one another: Starfleet versus Maquis. Looking around, Naomi saw all the Maquis players in a whole new light. This wasn't exactly the kind of game she would enjoy playing, but grown-ups were hard to figure out anyway.

Naomi's thoughts were interrupted as two of the Starfleet crew wandered over to where they were. Ensigns Vorik and Brooks knelt down beside them, both acknowledging the little girl politely before turning to Kes.

"I just overheard Torres say the senior staff is being held in the Brig," Ensign Brooks murmured.

Kes nodded slowly, reflecting on the new information. "We need to find a way to contact Captain Janeway."

"The captain isn't here?" Naomi asked.

"She and Tom Paris are on an away mission," the Ocampan explained patiently. "They don't know what's happening here."

"If we could just get to a comm unit," Brooks complained.

Vorik raised an eyebrow in typical Vulcan fashion. "Logic would dictate that the Maquis have already configured the communications system on board for their use only. We would undoubtedly be denied access."

Naomi leaned closer, her mind sifting through the possibilities. Maybe she could have some fun with this game after all. "What about the communications system on a shuttle?" All three sets of eyes suddenly focused on her.

Kes smiled, impressed at the little girl's astuteness. "That's a very good idea."

"Even if someone could get away from here unnoticed, the Shuttle Bay would be heavily guarded," Brooks cautioned them.

"I could do it," Naomi insisted, looking back and forth between the three of them.

The Ocampan looked doubtful. "It's too dangerous."

"It'll be dangerous for anyone who tries, and I'm a lot smaller than you. Maybe no one will notice me."

Ensign Brooks dismissed the possibility. "It would take too long to explain how to work the shuttle controls."

"You wouldn't have to." Naomi glanced back at Kes, grinning. "I already know how. I could even pilot it if I had to."

"How is that possible?" Vorik inquired.

The little girl's forehead wrinkled again as she struggled to formulate a reasonable explanation for her knowledge, but Kes spoke first, uncertainty still clouding her eyes. "As much as I don't like the situation, she might stand a better chance of getting through to the captain. We'll just have to trust in her wisdom." The Ocampan turned back to Naomi, her kind eyes filling the child with confidence. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure," Naomi answered, her smile renewing itself.

"The main entrance is not a logical option for escape, but there is a Jeffries Tube entrance at the back of this cargo bay to your left," Vorik informed the little girl quietly. "Are you familiar with this subjacent network of passages as well?"

Naomi nodded, remembering all the unauthorized excursions she'd taken through the endless access tunnels over the years. She was quite certain nobody on _Voyager_ understood just how well she knew the place she called home.

The Vulcan engineer raised an eyebrow at her acknowledgement, but he didn't request an explanation. "There are several cargo containers which should sufficiently conceal your progress in getting there, but the hatch itself is exposed. I recommend a diversion of some kind to ensure her safe passage," he finished, turning back to the two women.

"Leave that to me," Brooks offered, standing up. She looked down at Naomi with renewed respect. "Good luck."

The little girl smiled as the ensign turned and made her way towards another group of crew members. Vorik stood as well and turned to face the front of the room, providing a partial shield for her escape route.

"You're extremely brave," Kes praised. "You must be a valuable member of your crew."

Naomi's smile widened. "I'm the Captain's Assistant," she beamed.

"Captain Janeway must be very proud," the Ocampan grinned. A shadow crossed her pretty features then, her smile fading slightly. "You mentioned earlier that I was no longer on board your _Voyager_."

"You had to leave," Naomi said. "I'm not sure why, though. Neelix doesn't talk about it much, but he keeps your picture on his desk." She paused, sensing the shift in mood. "I know he misses you."

Kes's smile returned. "He's special to you too, isn't he?"

"He's my godfather," Naomi answered, "and my best friend."

"Would you do me a favor?" Kes asked after a moment. "When you get back to your _Voyager_ , would you give Neelix a big hug from me?"

The little girl's eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. Within seconds, she'd wrapped her arms around the pretty Ocampan and was hugging her tightly, trying to absorb as much of her spirit as she could to take back to Neelix. Kes laughed softly as she returned the gesture. "Thank you for helping us, Naomi Wildman."

Naomi pulled back moments later. "I'll send help as fast as I can."

Squeezing the little girl's hands in encouragement, Kes stood up and moved next to Ensign Vorik, beginning a subdued conversation with him. Taking one last look around the room, Naomi slowly turned and sank behind the cargo container they'd been sitting on, flattening herself against the floor. Glancing up, she spied the Jeffries Tube hatch about five meters away. Grinning excitedly, the little girl began to crawl soundlessly toward her goal.

Naomi paused as she finally crept alongside the last cargo container, judging her chances at getting to the hatch without being seen. It was only a meter away, but there were no obstacles left to hide behind. Her scrutiny was interrupted by the sound of voices echoing through the room, a few of them sounding rather angry. She then heard Chakotay's voice added to the din. His order for silence was completely ignored as more dissidents voiced their unhappiness.

Peeking her head above the container, Naomi saw that the crew members had formed a shield of sorts with their bodies, blocking the hatch from the Maquis' view. Wasting no time, she scrambled over and carefully pulled it open, relieved to hear that the sound it made was easily swallowed by all the commotion going on. Several frantic heartbeats later, she was safely inside the narrow tunnel, pulling the hatch closed behind her. With a determined smile, Naomi turned and began her journey through _Voyager's_ hidden passageways.

~ * ~ * ~

"Do we have access to the narrative parameters file?" Janeway asked, her mind spinning as she tried to retrace the steps they'd taken three years ago.

Torres jabbed at several controls. "I can't get in; my commands are being blocked."

Kim stood behind the engineer, pointing a tricorder toward the exposed holodeck control panel. "This is unbelievable," he murmured. "Nearly every stream of data in these subroutines is connected to some kind of booby-trap. Set one of them off, and the entire hologrid blows."

"Can we get a visual from inside?"

"The visual monitors were disabled when the holoprogram was activated," Torres admitted helplessly. "Apparently Seska made quite a few new additions to this program."

"I can give you a data readout of the holocharacters' whereabouts," Kim offered, tapping a few buttons, "but that's about it." One of the displays on the control panel lit up with a list of the characters in use and their current positions, but the information was hardly sufficient to monitor Naomi's safety.

Janeway crossed her arms as she looked on, her face a mask of barely contained frustration. "How long would it take you to disarm all the traps?"

Torres swallowed hard, trying to keep herself calm. The life of a little girl could very well depend on her actions; there was no margin for error. "If I had about three days I could probably navigate through this mess and shut the program down," she answered honestly.

"Not an option," the captain declared firmly. "Alternatives?"

Before the engineer could respond, Seven of Nine rounded a nearby corner and approached their position, surveying the scene coolly. "Lieutenant Carey informed me that my presence was required here."

"I need your help," Torres stated. "We have to get Holodeck Two shut down."

"My skills would be better utilized on the repair team assigned to the main power grid," the former Borg announced with her usual aplomb. "The holodeck systems are hardly a priority."

Kim glanced at Seven. "Naomi is trapped inside. The holoprogram that's running has been tampered with; safeties are offline and the hologrid is rigged to blow if we try to get in."

The former Borg's expression changed as she listened to his words, her usual arrogance replaced with obvious concern. She'd spent a lot of time with the little girl over the past few years, and the bond that had formed between them was something Seven valued a great deal. "What kind of holo-simulation is she experiencing?" she asked, moving to the control panel.

"It's a tactical training scenario that Tuvok created when we were first stranded in this quadrant," Janeway explained, her voice tight. "The premise revolves around a Maquis mutiny. An altered version of this same program nearly cost us two crew members the last time it was engaged."

"Who would endanger the crew with such modifications?"

"A clever Cardassian spy by the name of Seska," Torres told her. Seven stared blankly at the engineer. "It's a long story, Seven. I only hope Naomi realized something was wrong and found a safe place to hide."

~ * ~ * ~

Naomi peered cautiously at the two guards standing just outside the entrance to the Brig before ducking back around the corner. The situation was not good. Upon reaching the Shuttle Bay, she'd overheard two guards boasting about Seska's success in eliminating the captain and Lieutenant Paris after they'd beamed back aboard _Voyager_. Naomi was now on her own, and the only chance the Starfleet team had for victory involved freeing some of those being held captive. She'd chosen to go after the senior staff.

Leaning heavily against the bulkhead, the little girl took a deep breath and released it silently. "Wait a minute," she whispered suddenly. "I'm on the holodeck."

Tip-toeing back down the corridor until she was out of the guards' hearing range, Naomi softly called, "Computer, delete the holocharacters standing just outside the Brig." Sure, it was cheating, but who could blame her?

"Unable to comply."

Her brow furrowed in frustration. It had been worth a try. "Could I add any holocharacters?" she asked on impulse, expecting another negative reply.

"Affirmative."

Her eyes widened in surprised. "Computer, activate holocharacter Flotter T. Water," she called. She and Flotter had been through a lot together. Between the two of them, they should be able to come up with a suitable plan.

The tall, blue-skinned storybook character came to life in front of her, his eyes registering delight at her presence. He'd just opened his mouth to speak when Naomi quickly pressed her index finger to her lips, indicating the need for silence. He imitated the gesture on his own lips, his eyes darting back and forth around the corridor as he leaned down toward her.

"I need your help," she whispered.

~ * ~ * ~

Kim stared at the readouts in front of him, blinking in disbelief.

"Mr. Kim?" Janeway asked.

"I'm not sure what's going on," he explained, "but according to these readings, the Flotter holocharacter was just added to the program's active narrative files."

Torres examined the data. "Naomi probably requested a Flotter adventure when she first entered the holodeck. It looks like the computer might be trying to execute its original command sequence on top of the current program."

"Simultaneous simulations?" Seven looked doubtful.

"As messed up as the holomatrix is right now, I wouldn't rule out the possibility," the engineer added.

The sound of rapid footfalls echoed off the bulkheads as Ensign Samantha Wildman came rushing through the corridors, her eyes wide with alarm. "I just heard something had happened on the holodecks," she stated, visibly trying to restrain herself from panicking. "Naomi was supposed to be down here right now."

Janeway took the woman gently by the arm and led her away from where the engineers were working. She kept her face carefully neutral, but Ensign Wildman could tell by the look in her eye that something was wrong.

Seven stopped her examination of the holoprogram's complicated encoding structure to glance at the captain and Naomi's mother. The expression on Samantha Wildman's face changed from one of concern to a look of pure horror as the circumstances were explained to her, and the effect wasn't lost on the former Borg. A lump formed in her throat as she watched tears begin to fall down the ensign's face, a part of her sympathizing deeply with the other woman. Naomi was in grave danger; they had to get her out quickly. Failure was simply not an option.

~ * ~ * ~

"Are you sure this will work?" Naomi asked.

Flotter smiled. "I've used this tactic before to outsmart that cranky old Treevus," he assured her.

"This could be dangerous. Maybe I should do it."

"You need to free your friends, Naomi," he replied, placing a soggy hand on her shoulder. "Besides, I can run very fast. They won't catch me."

"Well..." the little girl hesitated, still wary of using her holo-friend as a decoy. "Okay. If you can keep ahead of them all the way around the deck, I'll have my friends out by the time you circle back. They'll take care of the guards then."

Flotter nodded, excitement shining in his watery eyes. Together, they turned and tip-toed down the corridor, the soft sound of Flotter's squishy footsteps breaking the silence. As they approached the corridor junction, Flotter moved ahead of the little girl and quickened his pace, rushing around the corner at the last minute to surprise the guards.

The plan worked perfectly. Naomi heard startled exclamations and then the sound of several sets of receding footsteps. With a triumphant grin, she looked around the corner. The guards were gone, both of them chasing after the brave holocharacter.

Stepping out, she started forward, only to freeze in mid-step as the doors to the Brig opened and another guard stepped out. Thankfully, he was turned away from her, staring down the opposite direction.

"Hey! What's going on?" he yelled, pulling out his phaser.

Naomi took advantage of his distraction, quickly back-stepping until she was safely behind the corner again. Her heart sank as she peered back around with one eye. She hadn't expected there to be any more guards.

"Bendera to Chakotay," the guard called, tapping his combadge.

"Go ahead."

"We've got a problem outside the Brig. You'd better send reinforcements."

"Acknowledged. Chakotay out."

Naomi swallowed hard. Before she could think further, she heard the sound of someone running from the other direction. Panicking, she turned and slipped into the small Jeffries Tube access alcove right off the corridor she was in. Pulling the hatch open quietly, she crawled inside and then closed the door just enough to avoid detection, her vantage point still allowing her to see what was happening in the main corridor.

Watery laughter filled her ears as the footsteps drew closer. It was Flotter! Her eyes widened in fear as she caught sight of the holocharacter. He came to a startled stop at the corridor junction, and she could tell by the confused look on his face that he was staring at the guard who had unexpectedly appeared outside the Brig. A split second later, the brilliant flare of phaser fire sliced through the air, reducing her holo-friend to a few drops of water on the carpeting where he'd stood.

Naomi sat perfectly still in the Jeffries Tube, completely stunned. She knew that holocharacters didn't really die, but watching something like this was shocking nonetheless. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself.

"Seska's not going to be happy," she heard someone say. "We weren't supposed to kill anyone without authorization." A few of the Maquis team members came into her line of view. They carefully inspected the place where Flotter had been, testing the floor with their boots.

"She can rant all she wants, but this didn't look like any crew member I've seen," another guard asserted. "We probably did everyone a favor by getting rid of it."

A wave of resentment washed through Naomi as she listened. How dare they speak of her friend like that! She set her jaw firmly, her eyes narrowing in determination. "This means war," she whispered as she pulled the hatch closed soundlessly.

~ * ~ * ~

Naomi exited the Jeffries Tube on the far side of the same deck, still determined to free the senior staff from the Brig. She cautiously checked the corridors to make sure she was alone before calling, "Computer, can you make a holocharacter of Seven of Nine?" Seven was the first person she'd thought of after her first plan of action had caused Flotter's demise. The former Borg's cool demeanor and logical insight could prove beneficial in this holographic game of wits.

"There are no parameters for 'Seven of Nine.'"

The little girl frowned. "But, I don't know who else could help me," she pleaded softly. Everyone she recognized here was either captured or more prone to shoot before asking questions.

"Please restate the question."

"You know Seven, don't you?" she tried to reason, confused at the computer's lack of understanding. "Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix One? She lived with the Borg?"

"There are Borg parameters in the holomatrix," the computer informed her.

Naomi's shoulders slumped as she exhaled in defeat. There was no way she'd be of any help to the Starfleet team without a better plan of action, and she'd already realized she couldn't do this by herself. She chewed on her lower lip in frustration. Seven of Nine wasn't an option. There were only Borg parameters in the holomatrix.

Borg parameters.

A sparkle of inspiration suddenly lit up in her eyes. "Computer, you said there were Borg parameters in the holomatrix?"

"Affirmative."

"Could you create holographic Borg drones?" she asked, her eyebrows rising slightly in anticipation.

"Affirmative."

Encouraged, Naomi continued, "Could you make it so the Borg drones do what I tell them to?"

"Affirmative."

The sparkle in her eyes quickly turned mischievous, a smile spreading slowly across her face. This was going to get very interesting.

~ * ~ * ~

"Please hurry," Samantha Wildman implored, wiping tears from her face as she watched the officers work. "Naomi doesn't know about the Maquis; she only knows them as members of this crew. She won't understand why the holocharacters are behaving strangely."

"We're doing everything we can, Sam," Kim consoled. "We'll get her out."

Torres gritted her teeth. "Seska couldn't just die and leave us alone," she muttered under her breath, adding a few Klingon insults for good measure.

"This program, while extremely complex, does run off a central set of processing subroutines," Seven indicated. "If we can disrupt the modified programming at its source, the traps would be rendered ineffective."

"That's a good idea," Torres said, "but how do we get past the booby-traps that protect the primary coding?"

Kim shook his head in frustration. "You have to give Seska credit — she was definitely resourceful."

"P'Tak!" Torres swore. "I give her credit for nothing! The Maquis were far more honorable than she was."

"Let's stay focused, people," Janeway cautioned softly. She understood the engineer's sentiments perfectly, but now wasn't the time to dwell on them. A deep intake of breath drew her attention to her Operations officer. He was staring wide-eyed at the holocharacter information display. "Mr. Kim?"

Kim swallowed hard. "Twenty-five Borg drones just appeared in the simulation."

"Oh, my God!" Samantha Wildman sobbed, a fresh wave of tears spilling forth. "Seven is the only person she associates with the Borg. She'll be scared to death!"

"Captain," Torres began, her eyes filled with worry, "the holomatrix is badly damaged. Even if we can get inside, there's a chance we may not be able to shut the program down."

Janeway nodded, comprehending her warning. "Understood. Crewman," she called to the other engineer. The man stood up crisply. "Get to the Bridge. Tell Tuvok I need a fully armed security detail down here on the double."

"Aye, Captain," the crewman responded before turning to sprint down the corridor.

The captain reached out and placed a comforting hand on Samantha Wildman's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The other woman didn't respond, her tear-filled gaze fixed on the busy fingers of those working to free her daughter.

~ * ~ * ~

The muffled thud of heavy footsteps blended rhythmically with the mechanical whine of hydraulically enhanced joints as the squad of Borg drones marched through the holographic corridors. Naomi Wildman marched with them, safely ensconced in the middle. She was grinning proudly, holding herself as confidently as the well organized unit she'd just created.

Turning slightly, she spoke to the nearest drone. "Now remember, no assimilating. Just take their weapons away, okay?"

The drone looked down at the little girl, the red beam of its ocular implant coming to rest on her forehead. It didn't respond.

"You must comply," Naomi stated firmly, doing her best to emulate Seven of Nine.

After a few moments, the Borg turned its head forward again. "We will comply," it agreed.

~ * ~ * ~

"What about a feedback loop?" Kim suggested. They were running dangerously short on options.

Torres shook her head. "Wouldn't work. Seska was extremely thorough in laying down the traps. The computer would recognize that for what it is and set off the hologrid."

"Not if the feedback loop contained Borg encryptions."

Torres turned to stare at Seven. The taller woman had begun tapping the controls in front of her with renewed determination. "You mean confuse the computer?" Torres asked, comprehension dawning.

Seven stopped what she was doing and met the engineer's gaze evenly. "Precisely. This holoprogram was designed to identify all attempts to sabotage its defense systems and act accordingly, but it cannot act upon something it does not recognize."

"That might lock up the system long enough for us to get inside," Kim remarked.

A wry grin spread across Torres' face. "Oh, Seska would have despised you. She hated being out-smarted."

Seven's eyebrow quirked slightly, her expression definitely smug. She turned back to the control panel and fed in the remaining command sequences, sending Borg encryptions racing through Seska's relentless machination of treachery. The effect was instantaneous.

"It'¬s working," Kim observed, studying the data.

Torres grinned, a sense of elation running through her. "The subroutines are freezing one by one."

Ensign Wildman clasped her arms together in anticipation, the delirium of hope mingling with the fear of what they may find on the other side of the holodeck doors.

Janeway, who had headed for a weapons locker minutes before, rounded the corner carrying several compression phaser rifles. "Any progress?"

"Yes, Captain," the engineer confirmed. "We should be able to get inside in about forty-five seconds."

"Good work."

"With the program's defense systems tied up, there's a chance I may be able to shut the simulation down manually," Torres informed her.

"Proceed," Janeway ordered, passing a rifle to Kim and tossing another to Seven. "Samantha, you should stay here until we secure the situation."

Ensign Wildman nodded, stepping back to give them room.

"Set your rifles to a rotating frequency modulation," the captain ordered. "If there are Borg in the area when we get in, we'll need to take out as many as we can."

The three armed crew members adjusted their weapons accordingly and then moved into position.

"Time?" Janeway called.

"Now!" Torres shouted after a few moments, pulling the manual release for the holodeck doors. They opened with a mechanical hiss, and the three officers burst inside, weapons raised and ready.

~ * ~ * ~

Naomi started as the holodeck doors suddenly appeared and opened. She'd been so involved in the game that she'd forgotten she was even in a simulation. Her face brightened as she saw Captain Janeway and the others, but they too were wielding weapons, which were quickly pointed toward the Borg.

"No!" the little girl called, waving her hands. "It's okay."

The captain fought the impulse to shoot, realizing as soon as she heard Naomi's voice that the drones didn't seem to be paying them any attention. She turned confused eyes toward the little girl, her weapon still trained on the Borg. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Naomi smiled. "They won't do anything unless I tell them to," she reassured the captain, pointing at the obedient drones.

When Janeway glanced back at the cybernetic beings, she realized they were surrounding the Brig; many of the Maquis mutineers, Chakotay included, were standing safely behind the security forcefield, looking utterly dejected.

"Naomi!" Samantha Wildman cried as she ran through the holodeck doors, gathering her daughter into a tight embrace. The little girl hugged her back, looking very confused.

"Are you okay, Mom?" she asked, concerned. "Why are you crying?"

Ensign Wildman sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "I was just very worried about you," she explained.

"You didn't have to be," Naomi told her proudly. "I had everything under control."

Kim grinned at Seven as they lowered their weapons. Seven raised a questioning eyebrow at him before looking toward the captain. Janeway continued to stare incredulously at the scene before her. This particular insurrection had been stopped cold, and in a remarkably efficient and creative manner.

The requested security team quickly filed onto the holodeck then, weapons raised while they assessed the situation. The sound of their footsteps brought Janeway back to reality.

"Stand down," she called, raising her hand.

Tuvok's eyebrows raised in the Vulcan equivalent of amazement as he surveyed the scene. "Borg drones?" he inquired.

"I tried to request a holographic version of Seven," Naomi grinned at the former Borg, "but the computer was acting like it didn't know who that was. So, I called up some real Borg instead to help the Starfleet team win."

"Insightful," Tuvok admitted, glancing from the little girl over to where Janeway stood. The captain looked thoroughly amused.

"Starfleet team?" Kim asked. "You thought this was a game?"

Naomi nodded. "I figured that out pretty quickly. The Maquis team was very mean. They didn't deserve to win."

The holoprogram dissolved suddenly, the familiar silver gridwork of the holodeck walls appearing around them. Everyone breathed deeply in relief.

"I got it shut down okay," Torres called as she stepped inside. The engineer was nearly run over as a very concerned Talaxian raced through the doors right behind her and ploughed his way through the crew members to get to his beloved Naomi. The little girl smiled brightly at his approach.

Janeway grinned as she watched Neelix pull Naomi up into a big hug. Stepping sideways, she glanced at Torres, the seriousness of the circumstances dampening her enjoyment of the touching moment. "Delete _Insurrection Alpha_ from the database," she ordered, handing the engineer her rifle. "Someone can create a new one from scratch if they'd like, but this one has proven far too dangerous to keep around."

"Yes, ma'am," Torres responded softly. "Seska won't bother us anymore; I'll make sure of that."

The captain nodded, turning her attention back to the little girl as the rest of the crew began exiting the holodeck.

"Oh, my!" Neelix exclaimed, pretending to fight for breath. "You must have been very scared."

Naomi shook her head as she finally relaxed her hold on the Talaxian.

"Then why such a big hug?" he asked.

The little girl saw the captain approaching out of the corner of her eye, so she leaned forward, briefly resting her cheek against Neelix's furry one. "I'll tell you later," she whispered. He would be very happy when he discovered the hug had actually been from two people he loved very much.

"Well," the captain began, her eyes sparkling, "you've had a busy day."

"Yes, Captain," Naomi replied as Neelix set her back down. "Did I do anything wrong?"

"Not at all. It looked as though you had the situation well in hand. My congratulations on winning the 'game,'" Janeway offered as she kneeled down in front of her.

Naomi grinned. "It wasn't easy, but I knew what had to be done."

Leaning closer, the captain lowered her voice conspiratorially. "If there's ever a real game like that played on _Voyager_ , I'll know who to put in charge of my team."

Naomi's eyes widened at the compliment, her bright smile chasing the last of Seska's ghosts far away from _Voyager_ and her crew.

~ * ~ finis ~ *


End file.
